The present invention pertains to an aspirating dental device. More particularly the present invention pertains to an aspirating dental device incorporating a dental instrument to remove liquid, gaseous fumes and waste as a dental procedure is being performed.
Numerous dental procedures result in generation of liquid and other waste which must be removed from the area in which the procedure is being performed. By way of example, during the treatment of teeth for removal of decay, the dentist frequently has occasion to work for extended periods in the mouth of the patient in the vicinity of the teeth undergoing treatment, and during such treatment the patient frequently salivates, resulting in accumulation of considerable saliva in the patient's mouth. This saliva must be removed, both to assure the dentist proper visibility of and access to the area undergoing treatment and to assure the patient's comfort. Additionally, many dental handpieces use a high speed dental bur onto which water or other liquid flows to remove the waste material from the vicinity of treatment as the bur operates and to maintain the area at a reasonable temperature. This water likewise must be removed from the mouth of the patient.
It is essential that any instrument used in a patient's mouth, and capable of retaining bacteria from the patient's oral cavity, be thoroughly disinfected or be discarded after use to prevent subsequent contamination or infection of another patient. Proper disinfecting usually involves soaking of the instrument in a disinfectant or an autoclave, which requires thirty minutes or more.
Aspirating devices are known which withdraw liquid and other waste material from the mouth of a patient as the patient is undergoing dental treatment. Such devices generally also remove dust and waste particles of prepared teeth, metal restorations, porcelain and plastic, along with bacteria and other potentially harmful debris. The devices frequently operate by means of suction to remove loose material, thus avoiding exposure of the dentist or other operators to these potentially harmful byproducts that are normally thrown in the air by the action of the dental handpiece.
One commonly utilized form of aspirating device includes a small hooked tube which rests in the patient's mouth as the dentist works in the mouth with a dental instrument. While such an aspirating device is capable of removing liquids from the mouth of the patient, its inlet is generally located some small distance from the dental instrument and thus from the area undergoing treatment. As a consequence, it cannot assure thorough removal of liquid and other waste material from the vicinity in which the dentist is working. Additionally, such an aspirating device can result in some amount of discomfort for the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,145 shows an aspirating dental handpiece providing water, air, and suction from a single instrument. While this device compactly provides three requirements of the dentist, still it leaves the aspirating inlet removed from the vicinity of the instrument during many dental procedures. U.S. Pat. No. 2,812,765 likewise shows an aspirating device incorporating both a fluid source and an aspirator in a single instrument. It, too, leaves the aspirating inlet removed from the vicinity of the dental instrument during dental procedures. U.S. Pat. No. 1,390,354 shows a dental grinding wheel having an aspirating hood. Essentially, the aspirating hood is similar to a small vacuum cleaner attachment mounted over the grinding wheel. The device suffers from a significant shortcoming in that it is difficult to thoroughly sterilize it. Provision must be made in any such device to assure that liquid, such as saliva from a patient, does not drain from the device into the mouth of a later patient. Thus, the device must be thoroughly sterilized between patients and so it must be easily removable from the dental instrument. Because of its size this device also interferes with the densist's view of the area undergoing treatment. U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,258 shows a shroud for fitting on a dental instrument such as a dental prophylaxis angle to permit attachment of an aspirating tube thereto. Problems of sterilization still exist, and the aspirating tube is positioned in such a manner that it interferes with the dentist's view of the area undergoing treatment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,092,908 shows an aspirating dental drill in the form of a turbine powered bur. A vacuum source is connected to one end of the device to draw air into it. This air drives a turbine which operates the dental bur. The vacuum source is also intended to draw liquid and other extra fine waste material from the mouth of the patient. This device appears to have numerous shortcomings. Thus, if there is a significant quantity of saliva or other liquid in the mouth of the patient, which the device is to remove, the airflow is reduced, thereby reducing the speed at which the dental bur is driven. Additionally, the device draws the extra fine waste material immediately past the turbine, with its delicate mounting. The dust which results from dental procedures is extremely abrasive, and as a consequence, considerable wear would be experienced on the moving parts of this device. Further, the device includes a screen over its inlet end, and the dust and other waste material is likely to clog the screen, thereby further reducing the flow of air and so the speed of the turbine-driven dental bur. Most significantly, the device will suck fluids from the mount of the patient and thus requires thorough sterilization before use on another patient. Since the aspirating device is incorporated into the entire drive system for the dental bur, it is not possible to sterilize the drive system during the brief interval between consecutive patients.